


Apologize

by kopycat_101



Series: Nathmarc November [28]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Apologies, Awkward Conversations, Awkward Crush, Bullying, Canon Compliant, Communication, Forgiveness, Friendship, M/M, Missing Scene, Pining, Pre-Slash, Teen Crush, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:48:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27707159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kopycat_101/pseuds/kopycat_101
Summary: After Ladybug and Chat Noir leave post-Reverser incident, Nathaniel asks to meet Marc the next day before school to talk. Marc is hesitant, but willing to accept the meeting.
Relationships: Marc Anciel & Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Marc Anciel/Nathaniel Kurtzberg
Series: Nathmarc November [28]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1994782
Comments: 8
Kudos: 29





	Apologize

**Author's Note:**

> For NathMarc November Day 28: Accept
> 
> Time for another fic about the missing scene in Reverser where Nathaniel should've apologized to Marc.

* * *

The danger is over. Ladybug and Chat Noir have stopped his Akuma form, have helped him and Nathaniel make up, and now they’re gone, parkouring across the Parisian skyline.

Marc feels exhaustion hit him like a truck, making his knees weak.

“How about we get you boys home…?” the Mayor asks, awkward and soft, like he wasn’t sure what else to really say but was trying to comfort them anyways.

“I’m fine. Me and Alix live close together,” Nathaniel waves off, turning his gaze to Marc, concern etched in his expression and uncovered blue eye surveying the writer intently. “You should get Marc home as quick as possible. Getting Akumatized always leaves you tired.”

“My Dad’s on the way here, Mayor. We’ll be okay,” Alix pipes up, waving her phone.

Marc turns to smile at Nathaniel, who smiles back at him sympathetically. But there’s a sad twist to the artist’s mouth. “S-See you at school…?” Marc says quietly.

“Yeah. Um…Can we meet before school tomorrow? O-Only if you want, and only if you’re feeling okay.”

Marc blinks, taken aback.

Does he want to…? To talk to Nathaniel before school? Possibly alone?

Despite the deep betrayal that he’s felt—something that’s happened only a few minutes ago in his perspective, as his memory’s blacked out from the Akuma… He feels that he does, in fact, want to talk to Nathaniel.

At the very least, the other boy looks ready to apologize. Not many people have ever taken the time for that, so…Marc’s willing to accept the meeting.

“Okay. Tomorrow before school,” the writer agrees, nodding. His vision feels like it swims for a second.

“Let’s get you in the car now, son,” the Mayor says, putting a hand on his shoulder to steer him. “And stay safe, the both of you.”

“Yes, Sir,” Marc hears Nathaniel say.

Marc looks over his shoulder, and gives a little wave. Nathaniel waves back, his shoulders sagging slightly in relief.

* * *

Marc arrives about half an hour before school starts, full of nerves.

He still feels tired from yesterday. But he went straight home and conked out for a solid twelve hours. So he’s not sleepy. Just feeling lingering fatigue.

When he arrives, he walks around a bit, before seeing bright red hair lingering by the East entrance.

Taking a breath and shoring his courage, Marc grips his backpack and walks towards Nathaniel.

* * *

Marc is barely stopped in front of him when Nathaniel starts to speak. “I’m sorry for what I did to you,” he says, looking into Marc’s eyes, voice even and sincere and full of regret.

Marc tries not to get lost in that bright blue eye. “It’s fine—” he attempts to wave off, wanting to put the entire debacle behind him.

“It really isn’t though,” Nathaniel sighs, running a hand through his hair, Marc’s eyes watching the bright red strands sift through his pale digits. “I just—I’ve been mocked and bullied before for my art, and my interests. It’s—it’s not an excuse, or anything, just…An explanation?”

And, oh. Oh, that makes a startling amount of sense, even if it horrifies Marc.

Marc’s had his own extensive history with bullying. He’s had to move schools because of it. The way Nathaniel got so defensive so quickly, wondering if he was being recorded, exploding in anger…

Yeah. He can see it.

“You…Y-you said something about…about it being a trick?” Marc whispers, as he thinks back to that painful moment. He fiddles with his fingerless gloves, just to give his nervous and fidgety hands something to do.

“Yeah,” Nathaniel sighs. He’s been doing a lot of sighing, as of the start of this conversation. Marc would rather hear him laugh. “It just…It felt like a set up. Again. And you seemed so nice when I first met you, but you were also—”

“A complete unknown to you,” Marc says slowly, nodding.

“That’s how Chloe and Sabrina started. Being new to me, but seeming nice at first glance,” the redhead says quietly, rubbing at his arm, eyes averted. “They quickly proved me wrong. Now it’s been three years, and I’ve…gotten a bit more careful. Or maybe I’m just paranoid.”

“It’s hard, getting to know new people,” Marc agrees quietly, feeling sympathy override his hurt.

“It is. But that also doesn’t excuse how I treated you either…” Nathaniel sighs, once more. He raises his gaze to look back at Marc, frowning. “I’m no better than Chloe, destroying your things and making you cry like I did.”

Marc can’t help but give an incredulous laugh, throat tightening. “Y-Yeah. You were—were—k-kind of a dick.”

No matter how lovestruck Marc had been with his crush, even his rose-tinted vision couldn’t just wipe away what Nathaniel had done to him. How terrible he’d felt. How heartbroken he’d been by the rejection.

The artist cringes, but nods. “Yeah. And I’m sorry. I’ve had that happen and—I should’ve known better not to—” The redhead buries his face in his hands and groans. “Fuck me and my temper,” he mumbles through his fingers, loud enough for Marc to hear.

Marc can’t help it. He feels a laugh sputter past his lips. “I-It’s…I mean…” he manages to get out through his amusement. “A-At least you’re, um, s-self-aware?”

When Nathaniel raises his head, his cheeks are pink, and his expression is sheepish. It’s cute. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Marc says, fighting down his giggles, a fist pressed against his mouth.

“It really isn’t—”

“You’ve already apologized. A l-lot of times, too,” the writer points out, watching a conflicted expression cross the other’s face.

Nathaniel sighs again—thick with frustration—carding his hand through his red hair. “I mean, I feel like it’s not enough.”

“L-Ladybug fixed my notebook, and you’ve forgiven me for what my Akuma—”

“You were an Akuma because of _me_ , though!” the artist bursts out, shoulders a tight line and voice heavy with guilt.

Ah. So it’s been weighing on him.

“B-but you regret it…Right?” Marc asks quietly.

Nathaniel stares back at him, expression crumpled. “Of course I do! I treated you like crap…!”

Marc finds himself staring back at that soulful blue eye, and he _aches_.

He opens his mouth, and words tumble out. “The f-fact that you realize that and feel bad and—and apologized like five different times—i-it’s more than anyone else has e-ever done for me.”

The artist stares back at him, eyes wide. “Shit…you too…?” he asks, a little horrified, realization dawning.

Marc nods. “Yeah.” No need for elaboration. The understanding of shared trauma does that.

Nathaniel purses his lips, his eye going suspiciously shiny. “Oh,” he croaks. “ _Shit_.”

“I don’t blame you. You didn’t know,” Marc shakes his head. When Nathaniel opens his mouth—no doubt to beat himself up further—Marc glares at him. The redhead clicks his mouth shut with an audible sound. “I accept your apology, Nathaniel.”

Nathaniel stares back at him, eyes wide, mouth forming into a small ‘O’ of surprise. “W-Wait—you can’t just—” the redhead sputters.

“—Y-you can’t tell me if I can forgive you or not,” Marc points out, shoving his hands in his hoodie pockets to hide their nervous shaking. “A-And I do. So.”

“Oh.”

The two just stand there in silence, staring at one another. It’s very awkward, but…It feels genuine, at least.

The redhead bites his lip, gaze darting down. When he raises it again, he says, in a careful voice, “I hope you come back to the Art Room again. We’re always welcome to new members, even if…”

“I’d like that,” Marc nods, taking in a deep breath and clenching his fists to give him strength. “A-And, um…I’d like to work on that c-comic with you, too.”

“Really?!” the artist asks loudly, goggling at him and looking completely shocked. “I-I mean—after what I—”

“I already forgave you,” Marc points out, cutting him off. “A-And I, um…I really do admire your d-drawings…And you n-need a writer? B-But if my writing isn’t up to your s-standards or you don’t want to—”

“Your writing’s amazing!” the redhead interjects, loud and vehement. He takes a step forwards, uncovered blue eye gleaming. “Like—absolutely _incredible_! The way you describe things, the realism, the emotion of it—it really felt like it was written by Ladybug! Th-that’s why I…”

The redhead stops his gushing, face steadily growing from pink to red.

Marc feels his heart flutter. “Y-You…You really like my writing?”

Nathaniel furiously nods his head, a vivid blush on his face, stubbornly keeping eye contact.

Marc feels his own face warm, alongside a slight burning in his eyes. “Th-thank you…for accepting…” he breathes, biting his lip so he won’t spill anything else, ducking his head.

His heart thrums staccato in his chest. Does Nathaniel know…? Oh God, what if he knows about Marc’s crush?

“I-I’m just glad I didn’t ruin this chance, honestly…” Nathaniel says, with an awkward laugh. “You’re pretty much the perfect partner I could get for this…”

Marc sees a hand in his vision, pale and freckled, extended for a handshake.

“I hope we can be partners, Marc,” Nathaniel says, quietly, shyly. “I want to get to know you.”

Marc looks up at the artist through his lashes, seeing how the other boy’s cheeks are flushed and how he has a hopeful smile on his lips. The writer looks back down at the hand, and grabs it, smiling at the redhead.

“Me too.”

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> We were robbed of Nathaniel apologizing to Marc. Even a short, "I'm sorry, I let my temper get the best of me" would have been fine. We got gay handholding, and the boys working together afterwards, showing that time has passed and they obviously mended their differences. But an apology would have been good to have as well.
> 
> So many people dislike Nathaniel for what he did to Marc and for him not verbalizing in canon that he apologizes for his actions. Literally, one line of dialogue could have helped there. Jesus, the show writers/Astruc really like throwing Nathaniel under the bus.


End file.
